Spring 2026: Facade

The word facade comes from the Latin term facies — meaning face or appearance. It evolved through the Italian word facciata to describe the front face of a building, the side that is turned towards the world. That tension between what is seen and what is hidden was at the forefront of our minds as we considered the Spring 2026 theme: facade.

A facade is not a falsehood, but rather a choice. This issue explores why we make these choices. How are external appearances constructed, performed and maintained? How do art, fashion and culture shape the facades we present? 

There is so much more to this university than what initially meets the eye. This issue is built in that spirit.

Rachel Mulvaney and Kieran Warner